Carton and box opener



J. PERRYMAN Jan. 7, 1941.

f CARTON AND BOX OPENER Filed Jan 5, 1959 'Jae Parry/nu Patented Jan. 7, 1 941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE,

CARTON nn BOX OPENER Joe Perryman, Columbia, Ky. Application January 5, 1939, Serial No. 249,509

2 Claims.

This invention relates to an improved opener for cartons or boxes comprising a tongue forming a seal for the container formed by a scored line adapted to be readily opened to form apouring tongue being adapted to be disposed in either the top, bottom or side of said container.

More particularly, it is an aim of this invention to provide a tongue for containers adapted to be torn open along a weakened line thereof to form a pouring opening for the contents thereof, and said tongue being preferably disposed to form an opening in two sides of a container and adjacent one of its upper corners. More particularly, it is an aim of this invention to provide means for opening and closing a container comprising a tongue having a roughened portion on its outer side and adjacent its free end for opening and grooves on its inner side and adjacent its secured end to render said portion less rigid whereby it may be more readily torn along its weakened line to form an opening in the container.

Still another object of the invention, is to form a tongue for boxes or cartons adapted to be opened along a scored line to provide a pouring opening and having a portion of said tongue formed in a sealing flap which is provided with.

means whereby the tongue portion thereof will not: be sealed when the carton or box is formed from a blank.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will hereinafter become more fully apparent from the following description of the drawing, 1

which illustrates a preferred embodiment of the invention, and wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a carton or a box made in accordance with the invention,

Figure 2 is afragmentary perspective view of the same showing the t e p uri opening, Figure 3 is a horizontal sectional view taken along the line 3-4 of Figure 1, with the tongue shown in an open position, in dotted lines,

tongue tornopen to form Figure 4 is a planview of the inside of the blank from which the container, as illustrated in Figure 1, is formed, Figure 5 is a fragmentary plan view of the outer side of that portion of the blank in which the ton ue is formed, and

Figure 6 is an enlarged fragmentarysectional view siinilar to Figure 3 illustrating the means whereby the serrated portion of the flap, which forms the end of the tongue, is held from engagement with the 'jacent side.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, wherein like reference characters designate like or corresponding parts throughout the different views, l0 designates generally a carton or a box constructed in accordance with the invention which is adapted to be formedfrom a blank H, as seen in Figure 4, which is creased along the lines l2 to form the sides l3, l4, l and I6, and the flap l'l formed integral with the side IS. The blank H is also severed alongthe line l8 adhesive coating of the adand creased along the line Hi to form the top and bottom flaps 20 one of which is formed integral with each end of each side i3, l4, l5 and it.

The carton or box I0 is formed by'folding the sides of the flaps along thecreased lines l2 and its marginal edge, with an adhesive,'as indicated by coating the inner side of the side I6, adjacent at 2| for securing it to the outer side of the flap l1, after which the portions 20 at each end of the sides l3 and ii are folded inwardly, the portions 20 at each end of the side It folded-over the aforementioned portions 20 and the remaining flaps 20, which are likewise provided with an adhesive coating 2l folded over and secured to the outer side of the flap 20 of the side I6 to form the completed container.

This'manner of forming a container or carton i0 is conventional, and it is to be under-.

stood of course that before the flaps 20 forming the top 22 are closed and sealed the container is filled. y

This invention relates to the provision of a pouring opening for dispensing the contents of the carton III which is formed by scoring the flap i1 and side I! on'the U-shaped line 23 to form the tongue 24. It will thus be seen that that portion of the tongue 24 which is formed in the flap I] is substantially semi-circular in shape and forms the free end thereof, designated as. Y The free edge of theside l8, which may constitute either the front or back of the carton l0, isprovided with a, semi-circular cut-out portion 26 which is smaller than the portion and which is disposed in a horizontal plane therewith so that when the free edge of side I6 is flush with the plane of'the outer side of side I3, the 7 cut-out portion 28 will be disposed to expose the major area of portion 25 with only a marginal portion, which is relatively narrow, and disposed adjacent to the serrated line 23 being positioned beneath the side I6.

It will be noted that the coated portion 2| of side I6 is adapted to be secured to the outer side of the flap l1 and this portion would include the area bounding the inner side of cut-out portion edge of portion 25 from becoming sealed to the side IS the outer side of flap I1 is provided with 'thegrooves 21 which combine to form a rectangular serrated portion extending through and around the outer side of portion 25 so that the adhesive coating 2| ofside I5 will engage only a very slight areaof the end 25 of the '29 and the end 25 is grooved or serrated, preferably on its inner side to enable tongue 24 to be more readily opened when being torn along the scored line 23, said last mentioned groove or serrated portion being designated and seen in Figures 3 and 4.

The carton or box I0 is especially adapted to contain a substance in powdered, granulated or chipped form, as for example soap chips or flakes and breakfast food, which is adapted to' be dispensed through the opening designated 3|, formed by opening the tongue 24. Tongue 24 may be most readily opened by pressing inwardly on end 25 at the point 32 to tear end 25 away from the flap I! along the intermediate portion of the scored line 23. Grooves 21 of the severed end 25 form a rough finger grip portion by means of which the tongue 24 may be pulled outwardly to sever it from the side I3 along the ends of the scored line 23 and by providing the grooves 30 the portion of the tongue contiguous with said grooves is rendered relatively thin and flexible and adapted to readily bend to enable the tongue to be readily torn back to the line 29 on which it is adapted to hingeor fold outwardly. Tongue 24 being thus opened to a position, as illustrated in Figure 2, forms the opening 3| from which the contents may. be poured from an edge of the carton l0 and adjacent one of its upper corners.

After the desired contents have been dispensed tongue 24 may be returned to its closed portion, as seen in Figure l and that portion of side I6 between the cut-out portion 26 and the groove 23, designated 33 will act as a retaining flange to engage the margin of end 25 to hold the tongue 24 in its closed position and thereby closing opening 3| to protect that portion of the-contents of the carton III which has not been dispensed.

While it is preferred inform the tongue 24 in the position as illustrated in the drawing for the reason that it, does not interfere with sealing with its end 25 extending into the cylindrical wall. Furthermore, flap I! of the blank 1| could be formed on the end of the side E5 in which case tongue 24 would be formed in side l6, and flap l1 and extend in the opposite direction than as illustrated in the drawing.

Various other modifications and changes in the construction and arrangement of the pouring opening and its closure are contemplated and mayobviously be resorted to, and the right is reserved to make such variations and changes as do not depart from the spirit and scope of the invention as hereinafter defined by the appended claims. V

I claim as my invention: 1. A carton including a side wall provided with a creased flap, said flap being folded and disposed beneath the free edge of an adjacent wall and adhesively secured thereto, said first men-' tioned side wall and flap being scored transversely, between the ends thereof, to form a tongue, said tongue being provided with an arcuately shaped end, formed in said flap and spaced from its free edge, the free edge of said last mentioned side being provided with an arcuately shaped cut-out portion registering with a portion of the arcuatelyshaped end of said tongue,

- and the, portion of said tongue thus exposed being serrated on its outer side for. reducing the surface thereof directly contacting the last mentioned side and to provide a finger grip for tearing the tongue along said scored line and for pulling it outwardly to form a pouring opening in the two walls, said last mentioned wall being provided with an arcuately shaped groove spaced from and concentric with the edge of said cut-out portion andon the inner side of said Well to communicate with the intermediate portion of the line formed by scoring the first mentioned wall and flap whereby said portion is spaced from the adhesive, which connects the flap and last mentioned wall.

2. A pouring opening for containers comprising a blank having a wall at one endthereot provided with a folded flap secured along its free edge, said wall and flap being scored along a U-shaped line, between the ends of said side and flap with the intermediate portion of said said exposed portion being adapted to be pressed inwardly for tearing it along the intermediate portion of the scored line, and said exposed portion having means to be readily grasped for pulling outwardly for tearing the ends of said scored 'line to form a tongue adapted to fold outwardly at its secured end to form an opening in one corner of the two walls of said container for pouring, said tongue being adapted to be held in a closed position by its free end engaging beneath the marginal edge of said cut-out portion,,said last mentioned wall being provided with an arcuately shaped groove spaced from and concentric with the edge of said cut-out portion and on the,

inner side of said wall to communicate with the intermediate portion of said scored line whereby said portion will be spaced from the adhesive sealing coating.

' JOEv PERRYMAN. 

